Ann Preston
Encyclopedia
Ann Preston was an American
doctor and educator.
Born in West Grove, Pennsylvania
as one of eight siblings, she was raised as a Quaker by a Quaker minister Amos and his wife Margaret (née Smith) Preston. Three of the children were girls, but Ann was the only one to survive until adulthood. She was educated in a local school then attended a boarding school in Chester, Pennsylvania. However, she had to return home to care for her mother, who was terminally ill.
She became a member of the temperance movement
and the Clarkson Anti-Slavery Society
. After her younger brothers were old enough to care for themselves, she worked as a schoolteacher. In 1849, she published a book of nursery rhymes, Cousin Ann's Stories. By the 1840s, she became interested in educating women about their bodies and taught all-female classes on hygiene and physiology. She was privately educated in medicine by Nathaniel Moseley from 1847–1849. Unable to gain admittance to male medical school because of biases against women, she entered the Quaker-run Female Medical College of Pennsylvania when it first opened, where she was one of five women awarded an M.D. in 1851.
Dr. Preston returned to the college the following year for postgraduate work, then ran a series of lectures on hygiene for women. Beginning in 1853 she was a professor of physiology and hygiene at the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War
, the college was closed due to lack of financial support. Preston began to suffer from rheumatic fever
and exhaustion at this time. She was confined to Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane for three months to recuperate.
After the college was re-opened, student Mary Putnam Jacobi was refused a medical degree by Edwin Fussel, even though she met the required qualifications. This resulted in a rift among the staff because most of them, including Dr. Preston, disagreed with the decision. Fussell
resigned following the incident and Preston became dean
of the college from 1866–1872. She was the first woman to become the dean of a medical school, a position that allowed her to champion the right of women to become physicians.
In 1871 she suffered from an attack of acute articular rheumatism
, which left her in a weakened state. She suffered a relapse the following year and died on April 18, 1872.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doctor and educator.
Born in West Grove, Pennsylvania
West Grove, Pennsylvania
West Grove is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,854 at the 2010 census.-History:The village of West Grove derived its name from the Friends Meeting House on Harmony Road built in 1787 several miles west of the Friends Meeting House in the village of...
as one of eight siblings, she was raised as a Quaker by a Quaker minister Amos and his wife Margaret (née Smith) Preston. Three of the children were girls, but Ann was the only one to survive until adulthood. She was educated in a local school then attended a boarding school in Chester, Pennsylvania. However, she had to return home to care for her mother, who was terminally ill.
She became a member of the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and the Clarkson Anti-Slavery Society
Anti-Slavery Society
The Anti-Slavery Society or A.S.S. was the everyday name of two different British organizations.The first was founded in 1823 and was committed to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Its official name was the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the...
. After her younger brothers were old enough to care for themselves, she worked as a schoolteacher. In 1849, she published a book of nursery rhymes, Cousin Ann's Stories. By the 1840s, she became interested in educating women about their bodies and taught all-female classes on hygiene and physiology. She was privately educated in medicine by Nathaniel Moseley from 1847–1849. Unable to gain admittance to male medical school because of biases against women, she entered the Quaker-run Female Medical College of Pennsylvania when it first opened, where she was one of five women awarded an M.D. in 1851.
Dr. Preston returned to the college the following year for postgraduate work, then ran a series of lectures on hygiene for women. Beginning in 1853 she was a professor of physiology and hygiene at the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the college was closed due to lack of financial support. Preston began to suffer from rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
and exhaustion at this time. She was confined to Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane for three months to recuperate.
After the college was re-opened, student Mary Putnam Jacobi was refused a medical degree by Edwin Fussel, even though she met the required qualifications. This resulted in a rift among the staff because most of them, including Dr. Preston, disagreed with the decision. Fussell
resigned following the incident and Preston became dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the college from 1866–1872. She was the first woman to become the dean of a medical school, a position that allowed her to champion the right of women to become physicians.
In 1871 she suffered from an attack of acute articular rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
, which left her in a weakened state. She suffered a relapse the following year and died on April 18, 1872.